Lawmakers to prioritize five bills
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives (DPR) will prioritize bills on money laundering, electricity, investment, police and state defense during its next working period, which will only last for 18 days, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung announced on Tuesday.
"The bill on money laundering is very important because money laundering is part of international crime, which has a broad impact," Akbar said, at the opening of the House's working period here on Tuesday.
He emphasized that in European countries money laundering had been declared a regional crime, which all country members of the European Union had agreed to combat.
Akbar said he hoped lawmakers would also finish deliberating the bills on the National Police and state defense.
"We hope those bills have been sufficiently disseminated among the public so we can now take a decision on the subject," he added.
Although revision to political laws is needed, Akbar has not prioritized those laws.
The House had been criticized following its inability to reach a consensus during the deliberation of bills on national defense and the police. The House then announced the postponement of the bill on Oct.24.
According to Andi Mattalatta, chairman of the team deliberating the committee, the postponement was designed to provide the public with more information on the bill, but critics said that political interests had hampered the deliberation process.
With only 18 days left prior to the holiday season, Akbar urged fellow legislators to work harder to solve the unfinished deliberation on various bills.
According to Akbar, the second period of meetings would start on Nov. 20 and last until Dec. 13.
"We hope legislators will work effectively and make use of our limited time. If needed, we support the plan to organize an evening session for deliberations," Akbar said.
At least 16 bills will be deliberated during the 18-day period. Those bills include one on an anti-corruption commission, property rights, electricity, the protection of workers and state finance, among others.
"Of the bills, those on investment, money laundering, electricity will be our top priority," Akbar added.
Several others bills are also expected to be passed into law before next year. They are the bills on children protection, the presidency, banking credit and the national education system.
Commenting on the implementation of the regional autonomy law, Akbar said the emerging regionalism could harm the effective implementation of the law. This will, he said, affect investment.